JE018: Charizard's Burning Ambitions
is the 134th episode of Pokémon overall, and the 18th in the Johto Journeys. Synopsis On their travels, Ash, Misty and Brock meets a trainer named Liza, who takes them to the Charicific Valley, a place where wild Charizard battle each other to become stronger. Ash's Charizard realize that it isn't so unbeatable as it once was and wants to stay and become stronger, but the wild Charizard refuse to take it in before it can prove its strength. Episode Plot The heroes are walking, feeling the effect of wandering around. Ash wishes he had already his badges by defeating the opponents he encounters, though Misty tells he can't expect that, since they battle Team Rocket a lot. Team Rocket observe them and agree with their enemies that it wouldn't be a challenge if they would be defeated. James counts there are twelve of their enemies' Pokémon and Jessie knows there are five of their own Pokémon. Team Rocket remembered that even if the numbers are tied, Charizard proves to be a menace. They agree the boss would fire them in an instant if he heard they were afraid of Charizard. Ash tells Misty that he uses Pikachu often, but when the fight is tough, he uses Charizard instead. Brock and Misty respond that he uses Charizard most of his time and think it is a bit unfair. Team Rocket yell "No fair!", so the heroes hear those words. Brock tells the canyon echoes their words and yells "Hello!", so they can hear it back. Ash admits he likes his echo rather than first one. A woman tells that she knows the first one was "no fair". Brock tells the woman she is very fair, wanting to charm her. However, the woman tells one can hear a lot in these canyons and yells "Oh, Charla!". Brock sees that they are in Charicific Valley and the woman tells Ash he has a Charizard, as she smelled its presence. She admits she heard a trainer battling in Violet City and wanted to meet him. The woman invites him to come with her to the Charicific Valley and Brock agrees in Ash's name, who wants to see Charizard in their habitat. The woman, named Liza, calls her Charizard, nicknamed Charla, who comes with a small balloon, so Liza tells Misty and Brock to get in the balloon, while Ash can ride his Charizard. Ash asks how can he do that, making Liza wonder why he did not ride it. Ash sends Charizard and asks it to fly with him, but Charizard refuses. Liza asks Charizard if Ash is too heavy, so Charizard lets Ash go on its back and flies. However, Charizard sees he dropped Pikachu and Ash. Though Ash rides Charizard, Charizard flaps its wings, being quite unstable. Misty uses the phone and asks Liza the Charizard carry passengers, so Liza tells that Charla knows only how to do that and tells that she watches the place from poachers. Misty is angered, as she might take them to jail, but Liza confirms they love Pokémon and will not send them to jail. Ash got Charizard to fly more stable. Charla flies away and Ash's Charizard goes to her. However, Charla disappears and Charizard falls down with Ash. Ash tries to control Charizard, who jumps on the rocks of a river and flies up, only to get through the forest and into a valley. Team Rocket slide down, planning to steal Charizard from the Valley. Charla managed to transport Misty, Brock and Liza to the Valley, where Charizard live and train with each other, without humans, trying to perfect themselves. Liza detected some trouble with Ash's Charizard, but Ash, Pikachu and Charizard come, as Charizard walked to that place. Ash yells that they do their things their own way and makes them tough. Charizard proves its strength by using Flamethrower, though Ash refuses to have Charizard be trained, as Liza thinks it can use some training. Due to Flamethrower, Ash's back lower back piece to be burned, so he jumps in the water. Liza advises Ash to get Charizard trained, but Ash refuses, as it made it here. Liza tells any Charizard can get here, but needs to prove its strength, making Ash riled up, as he thinks his Charizard is as good as any, so challenges Liza and Charla to a battle. Liza tells that Charla was trained personally and is a tough opponent, so Ash tells to send any Charizard to battle. Liza opens the door, so they enter and see that the Charizard are much bigger than Ash's is. Charla picks one and think if it were to be defeated, Charizard might be able to train. Ash's Charizard approaches one and uses Flamethrower to burn its head, making a sneak attack. The Charizard absorbs fire and torches Ash's Charizard, causing it to fall down. Liza picks a gentle Charizard (despite its large size), so Ash's Charizard uses Flamethrower. The Charizard turns around (making Ash believe it wants to retreat), but it uses its tail to bash Ash's Charizard to a wall. Liza sees Ash's Charizard is not up to the power of others around. Ash tells Charizard it'll be the perfect one for him, even if it does not beat anyone here around, but Charizard goes away. Charizard continues to battle, but gets hit by another Tail Slam followed by a Take Down and a knee to the groin. Liza, Misty and Brock advise Ash to call off the battle before Charizard gets really hurt, as it gets knocked outside the door. Liza tells Ash to come back with more experience, so the door is closed, as Ash's Charizard bashes the door. Team Rocket observed and wonder what their chances are of stealing a Charizard that defeated the twerp's Charizard that defeats them. Though they see their new robot was a mistake, they see Liza opening the door and telling Charizard to go with Ash. Charizard refuses, making Jessie mad the woman does not want to accept the battle. Seeing Charizard wants to battle, Liza accepts the challenge, but Charla sends Charizard by throwing it in the water. Liza warns them they need to think how to improve themselves first, then closes the door. Charizard yells, making Jessie and James have compassion for Charizard. Meowth says they don't need to and gets hit by them. As the night came, Misty and Brock are impressed Charizard did not move at all. Ash tells Charizard it knows how much it hurts to lose, but knows Charizard wants to be stronger. Ash acknowledges it is important for Charizard, but he has to decide. Team Rocket observe and Meowth translates Charizard wants to become the best, inspiring Team Rocket. The heroes went to sleep and Charizard goes to do the same, but Team Rocket throw pebbles, as it will douse its flames once it gets its tail in water. Liza admits to Charla it has a lot of heart. Next day, Ash wakes up and sees Charizard made it through to the night. He sees that he cannot stand in its path. Meanwhile, Team Rocket use their machine to break the door, wanting to secretly support Charizard. As they predicted, Charizard uses Flamethrower to blast them off. Liza claps for Charizard, admitting that though anyone can beat Team Rocket, Charizard wants to become great. Ash asks Charizard it could stay here. Ash admits he does not need a weak Charizard and says goodbye to it. Misty and Brock follow him, while Pikachu gives a thumbs up for Charizard. Ash admits to himself he had to leave Charizard so it can train more, hopes he'll meet Charizard someday and will not forget him. Debuts Character *Liza Quotes :"It's got a lot of heart, Charla." - Liza Trivia *While counting Pokémon, James imagined seeing 15 of Ash, Misty and Brock's Pokémon, but only counted to 12. He also did not include those Pokémon owned by, but not immediately available to Ash and Misty, such as Muk, Kingler, Tauros (x30), Starmie and Horsea (Brock having all his known Pokémon with him). Just counting those Pokémon carried by the trio, Ash and co. outnumber Team Rocket by 3 to 1, even including Meowth. *The "Who's that Pokémon?" in this episode is Sunflora. *Ash's Charizard had confronted two of the wild Charizard including Charla in the Charicific Valley which are in 7'2" and 7'3" in height as Charizard's height is 5'7". But in "Great Bowls of Fire!" and on wards Ash's Charizard's current height is 7'3" due to being trained by Liza in the Charicific Valley. *The gentle Charizard has a behavior similarly to that of WWE professional wrestler and former UFC mixed martial artist Brock Lesnar who was very calm and focused and being dominant in fighting his wrestling opponents. The gentle Charizard easily took down Ash's Charizard to the horrible surprise of Ash and the group much like how Lesnar beats his opponents in every wrestling PPV and his ferocious brawls with his main opponents on Raw. Mistakes *Despite saying he never rode Charizard, Ash rode Charizard in Charizard Chills. *In this episode Ash was much too heavy for Charizard to carry, even though Charizard easily carried him in Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon and Charizard Chills. *When James counts the heroes' Pokémon, Snorlax was there, despite being at Professor Oak's lab. Gallery Meowth wants the twerps to be ambushed JE018 2.jpg Brock agrees in Ash's name JE018 3.jpg Charla goes to pull the balloon JE018 4.jpg Misty phones Liza JE018 5.jpg Ash manages to fly Charizard JE018 6.jpg Charizard walked to the valley JE018 7.jpg Ash gets his lower part of his back burned JE018 8.jpg Ash chooses Charla to battle against his Charizard JE018 9.jpg Ash's Charizard is smaller than the others JE018 10.jpg Charizard makes a sneak attack JE018 11.jpg Ash's Charizard got burned JE018 12.jpg Ash's Charizard gets beaten up JE018 13.jpg Charizard cannot enter the valley JE018 14.jpg Charla throws Charizard around JE018 15.jpg Team Rocket cry for Charizard JE018 16.jpg Team Rocket smile before blasting off JE018 17.jpg Ash points at the door JE018 18.jpg Pikachu gives a thumbs up for Charizard JE018 19.jpg Ash, Misty and Brock run away from Charizard }} Category:Pokémon: The Johto Journeys Episodes Category:Episodes in which a main character releases or gives away a Pokémon Category:Episodes focusing on Ash Category:Episodes written by Takeshi Shudō Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada Category:Episodes animated by Akihiro Tamagawa